


School Days

by CloverTheGrand



Series: Jacarandas and Footballs [1]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Australia, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Slice of Life, Unrequited Crush, brisbane, lots of niche Australia jokes so hgkgh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26154340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloverTheGrand/pseuds/CloverTheGrand
Summary: It is the first day of Crowley's last year at school, and Crowley can't wait to see Aziraphale again at literature. However, he meets a new student: Gabriel, who emigrated from California. Little did he know, all their lives are about to get a lot more entangled together than he thought.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley/Gabriel (Good Omens), Crowley/Gabriel (Good Omens), Eventually - Relationship, mutual pining so far tho
Series: Jacarandas and Footballs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899271
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I suppose this fic series is based on my own experiences as a teenager growing up in Brisbane. Brisbane is a city where I did a lot of growing up, and will always have a special place in my heart. So yes. Love you Brisbane <3 some of the in-jokes may be a little obscure though, so feel free to ask about them in the comments
> 
> Happy reading!

His senior year was a lot less exciting, and somehow a lot more chaotic, than what Crowley thought it would be.

He could remember passing through the iron gates as a year seven, donned with a hat, nervous about the next six years that would come. Now, he strode past these gates, donning the school’s maroon blazer (it was Autumn, it was finally time for him to assert his dominance to the junior years as a senior), hat long banished into the confines of the garage.

“Oh, Crowley! There you are!” Crowley raised his head to see his friend Aziraphale. Aziraphale always dressed in the school’s beige sweater with the shirt buttons tied at the collar. Crowley’s own tie had long since been chucked away. On top of his head was always the school’s hat. He was one of the only seniors who wore it. Normally not wearing one would warrant detention, but then 95% of the school would have to be crammed into the tiny detention classroom. 

Crowley raised an eyebrow at how Aziraphale’s bag was open. Aziraphale’s bag always had the habit of zipping open because he stuffed too many things in there. “You _really_ need to download your textbooks' electronic versions, Aziraphale.”

Aziraphale yelped when his heavy textbooks and folders collapsed onto the pavement. “Oh, dear. And I didn't even bring my ARC book today!”

He smiled, then knelt down to pick up the books and folders. “How you have survived these 6 years carrying that load, I will never understand. I’ll uh, show you how to download the online versions at lunchtime.”

“Thank you. Though… wouldn't that keep your friend group waiting?”

Crowley, meanwhile, was busy flipping through one of Aziraphale's textbook. Aziraphale densely annotated the paper versions of his textbooks, which was why he was always hesitant with switching to digital. "Yeah. Don’t worry, I'll get something done soon."

It was the least Crowley could do, anyway. 

Aziraphale was an amazing person. He stuck with Crowley, even with all of his anxiety. Even when Crowley’s anxiety became too much and he asked Aziraphale to not see him for a while, Aziraphale welcomed him back with open arms. And Aziraphale would always make sure to chat with Crowley over iMessage after he had a panic attack at school. 

Crowley was very thankful for Aziraphale. He liked him a lot, it had been ongoing for about 4 years now. But Crowley couldn’t bring himself to tell Aziraphale that he had romantic feelings for him. What frightened Crowley was the possibility that the only reason he liked Aziraphale was that Aziraphale was the only person Crowley trusted to share his problems with. 

It was unfair to see Aziraphale as his therapist. Aziraphale was his friend. Aziraphale talked to him because he _wanted_ them to be friends. He had already gone through so much for Crowley, so much so that Crowley was afraid of what boundaries Aziraphale crossed for him. It already seemed like too many. There was also the possibility that Aziraphale would rush into a relationship for Crowley, and Crowley could not stand the thought of Aziraphale forcing himself to do something so personal. Besides, Crowley did not have many stable friends while growing up, always preferring to be alone. Maybe what he was feeling was friendship. Platonic love can be just as important as romantic love, right? And Crowley would not risk his friendship with Aziraphale for anything else in the world at all. 

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, seeing as Crowley usually thought about Aziraphale a lot when they were in shared classes) he did not share a class with Aziraphale that morning. So after dropping Aziraphale off at his class, Crowley paced away to his. 

* * *

A student Crowley did not recognise was standing in front of the sports centre. They made eye contact, and from the distance, Crowley saw that his eyes were an amethyst purple colour. 

Luckily Crowley’s sunglasses made it difficult for him to see where Crowley was looking, so Crowley pretended he didn't notice and paced to his class. If he was quick enough, he might not catch much attention-

“Hello! Excuse me,” the student asked. “Can you tell me where this class is?” 

Oh well. What dumb luck. Couldn’t be talking to the raven at the bin, could it? It then struck Crowley how different the student’s accent was. He sounded American-- probably recently moved to Australia.

The student held up a schedule clipped to a clipboard. Crowley craned his neck and squinted at where the student's finger tapped: business. "Speak of the devil. That’s the same class as mine.” 

“Thank God. You can take me there.”

“We gotta hurry though, it’s literally on the other side of the school. What time is it…” Crowley got his answer when he saw that the student's Apple watch flashed an obnoxious _9:08. "..._ and we’re late.”

And so they scrambled to their business class like greased lightning. 


	2. Chapter 2

By the time they arrived at their class' building, Crowley was out of breath and had to bend down onto his knees while the student looked with concern.

“Do I need to-“

Crowley waved him off and shoved his asthma inhaler between his lips.

When Crowley recovered, the student stuck his hand in front of him. "I’m uh, Gabriel,” he introduced. Despite the reassuring smile Gabriel pulled up, Crowley could sense the distress Gabriel had. Wouldn't blame him. Fancy being late on the first day of class. Fancy witnessing a fellow student wheezing his lungs out. Crowley was sure that he was red and sweaty in the face.

Crowley shook his hand. “Anthony. But I prefer Crowley, really. Look, uh, maybe we can make it if we’re fast enough.”

Gabriel made an uncertain noise as he looked up. “I don't know. It's gonna be 4 flights of stairs. Maybe we should get a late pass.”

“I’m just saying. The teacher’s  _ really _ lazy at marking the role.”

“Alright. Race ya there?”

Crowley scoffed. “I'll just take the elevator,” he lied. The elevators were reserved for the teachers, of course. But Gabriel didn't know that.

Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows. Then he glanced at the stairs slyly and shrugged. "Okay."

So Crowley forgot to consider why Gabriel was not at all out of breath despite racing towards the other end of school, nor did he factor Gabriel’s muscular frame. As it turned out, Gabriel was quite the athlete and raced up the stairs at a rapid pace. Crowley, in comparison, practically crawled the stairs with his gangly limbs. 

Gabriel looked down at Crowley with great puzzlement, his eyebrows furrowing together. "Hang on, I thought you were going to take the stairs!"

"Ah... ngk, funny story. Stairs are out of order."

"Stairs?"

"Elevator! I mean."

"How could you tell?"

"Uh... doors were jammed." Third flight! How was Gabriel not tired?! "Hahah, you do much sports? Signed up for P.E.?"

Gabriel's purple eyes lit up as he grinned with pride. "Oh yeah! I was captain of the football team back in my home town. Oh, I'm from California, by the way."

Crowley imagined Gabriel in those heavy, bulky football shoulder pads and helmet. Somehow he could see Gabriel's broad frame fit in them. "Yeah yeah, I could tell from your accent."

"Really!" Gabriel gave out a sheepish chuckle then rubbed his neck. "You er, sound very Australian too. Are you from Brisbane?"

"Lived here my whole life... now, _seriously how are you not out of breath!_ "

By now the two had arrived at the entrance fourth level, though by now Crowley was a sopping mess and sounded like a broken kazoo. 

"Are you sure you don't need to see the nurse?"

So they were late 16 minutes, but the teacher did not mark the role until 4 minutes later, so they were both spared of another trip to the student reception. Crowley collapsed into the back seat with his bag, while Gabriel placed his own bag at the racks and paced to the front. Throughout the lesson, Gabriel took notes diligently and clarified any questions any student asked, though he was quite loud while doing so. Broad, tall, loud, upright... yep, he was definitely American.

But the two sat at different desks, so that was that between him and Gabriel, then, Crowley thought. But enough about Gabriel. The lesson after business was literature, which he had with Aziraphale, and Crowley looked forward to that lesson greatly. Gabriel looked like someone who attended general English, so unless Gabriel took drama or physics, Crowley doubted he will see Gabriel much today.

Little did he know, Gabriel _was_ about to pick general English as his subject. However, thanks to a knowing need to challenge himself, Gabriel picked English literature.


	3. Chapter 3

Crowley expected to see Aziraphale at his literature class today. Crowley did not expect to see Aziraphale already bantering with Gabriel. 

Before Gabriel could sit down next to him, Crowley tossed his bag between the two. Thanks to a mere stroke of luck, his bag landed perfectly onto the chair in the middle. Gabriel and Aziraphale stared in suspense as the chair rocked from the force. After the chair stopped, they looked towards Crowley. Gabriel squinted. 

“Crowley?”

Crowley adjusted his sunglasses. “Ahem. I usually sit at Aziraphale’s left.” Crowley awkwardly paced next to Aziraphale and sat down. It was awkward, wedged between Gabriel and Aziraphale. Crowley usually liked to sit at the side desks so that his legs have space to spread out, but now he felt like a sardine in a can. After Crowley sat down, Aziraphale and Gabriel promptly started organising their materials. 

“So you two know each other?” Gabriel asked Crowley.

“Yep. For years and years," Crowley drawled as he yanked out his study binder. Aziraphale looked at the two quizzingly.

“I’m assuming that you’ve met each other today.”

Gabriel beamed. “Oh yes! We share a business class.” 

His eager insistence caused Crowley’s stomach to flop in anxiety. Crowley was never good with extroverts. “We do.” 

After Gabriel was introduced to the class, the rest of the day went by smoothly. On the academic side, anyway. Mr. Young was very upbeat and casual, as always. Though during their working time, he did play some Coldplay on his guitar per Gabriel's request.

Crowley watched as Aziraphale and Gabriel walked in front of him, engrossed in their conversation, nearly ignoring how they into whoever else was in the corridor. What was Crowley jealous for? Aziraphale was allowed to have a conversation with a classmate. 

He had to admit, it was a big change from the past. Crowley could remember when they were in year 7, Aziraphale would often opt to work by himself during group projects. He would also sit in an unoccupied during lunchtime and then pace into the library to read and do homework. Crowley approached him first, and then they became fast friends. Over the years, Aziraphale’s courage grew and he was able to become more and more extroverted while Crowley never seemed to change. Such as right now. No, it seemed that Aziraphale would eventually fit other people into his life. 

And with other people in his life, Crowley was scared that Aziraphale wouldn’t need him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dw they'll eventually become a friend trio ^^


End file.
